Fluid systems



June `15, 1965 B. RosAEN 3,188,974

N-JID SYSTEMS Filed June 2l, 1963 M0 TDR, 2 2

FLUID USER F|G.I.

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INVENTOR.

BORJE ROSAEN w ATTQRNEYS United States Patent O 3,188,974 FLUID SYSTEMSBorje Rosaen, Ann Arbor, Mich., assigner to The Rosaen Filter Company,Hazel Park, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Filed June 21, 1963, Ser.No. 289,622 7 Claims. (Cl. 103-203) The present invention relates tofluid systems and more particularly to such a system having a primarypump and means operable to maintain the suction line level of theprimary pump during periods when the primary pump is not in operation.

Either due to the construction of the pump itself or the design of thefluid system in which the pump is being used, primary pumps quickly losetheir prime in the suction line upon being deactivated. This requires alengthy running time upon activation of the pump before the iiuid willhave been lifted in the suction line sufficiently to produce therequired prime.

The present invention provides a low capacity auxiliary pump connectedto the suction line of a liuid system and operable to maintain iluid inthe suction line during those periods when the primary pump is not beingused. In this way, when the primary pump is again activated, it willimmediately begin to deliver iiuid through the fluid circuit.

It is an object then of the present invention to reduce the starting uptime for fluid sysems by providing means for maintaining the liuid levelin the suction line of such systems during those periods in which thepump is not in use.

It is another object of the present invention to increase theeliiiciency of fluid systems by providing means oper- Iable to removeaccumulations of air in the filter housing of such systems during thoseperiods in which the ptunp is being operated and also operable tomaintain the liuid level'in the suction line of such systems duringthose periods when the pump is not being used.

Still further objects and advantages will readily occur to one skilledin the art to which the invention pertains upon reference to thefollowing drawings in which like reference characters refer to likeparts throughout the several views and in which FIG. 1 is a schematicdrawing illustrating one preferred emobdiment of the present inventionand FIG. 2 is a schematic drawing similar to FIG. 1 but illustratinganother preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Description Now referring to the drawings for a more detaileddescription of the present invention, a preferred lilter system isillustrated schematically as comprising a fluid reservoir 10 partiallylilled with a suitable uid 11. The reservoir 10 is provided with a topplate 12, a floor portion 13 and side walls 14. A primary pump 15 ispreferably carried on the plate 12. The inlet side of the primary pump15 is connected by a suction conduit 16 to the reservoir 10. The suctionconduit 16 is provided with an inlet end 18 disposed within thereservoir 10 beneath the minimum level of the fluid 11. The outlet sideof the primary pump 15 is connected by conduit 20 to a fluid user 21. Amotoring means 22 is operably connected to the primary pump 15.

The suction conduit 16 is preferably provided with a substantiallyhorizontally extending portion 24 and a branch conduit 26 is connectedwith the portion 24 as shown. The branch conduit 26 is conected with theinlet side of an auxiliary pump 28. The outlet side of the auxiliarypump 28 is connected by a return conduit 30 to the reservoir 10. Thereturn conduit 30 is pref- 3,188,974 Patented June 15, 1965 ice erablyprovided with an outlet 32 disposed Within the reservoir 10 above themaximum level of the fluid 11. A slanted plate 34 is preferably securedto the sidewall 14 of the reservoir 10 in a position to intercept iiuidemitted from the outlet 32. A motoring means 36 is operably drivinglyconnected to the auxiliary pump 28.

The auxiliary pump 28 needs only to have a capacity slightly larger thanthe potential air leakage of the primary pump 15. The auxiliary pump 28may be left running at all times. Then when the primary pump 15 isdeactivated, the auxiliary pump 28 will maintain fluid in the suctionline 16 to the suction line level of the primary pump 15. In this way,the primary pump 15 will be ready to immediately deliver fluid to thesystem upon activation thereof.

Another preferred emobdiment of the present invention is illustratedschematically in FIG. 2. A preferred fluid system is illustrated ascomprising a reservoir partially lled with a suitable fluid 111 andhaving a top plate 112, a oor portion 113 and sidewalls 114.

The inlet side of a primary pump 115 is preferably connected with thereservoir 110 by a suction conduit 116. The suction conduit 116 isprovided with an inlet end 118 disposed within the reservoir 110 belowthe minimum level of the uid 111. The outlet side of the primary pump115 is connected by conduit 120 to a fluid user 121. A motoring means122 is operably drivingly connected to the primary pump 115.

A ilter device 124 is connected in the suction conduit 116 intermediatethe inlet side of the primary pump 115 and the reservoir 110. The filterdevice 124 preferably comprises a housing 136 having a filter chamber137, an inlet 138 and an outlet 140 communicating with the chamber 137.A substantially cylindrical filter element 142 is carried in the chamber137 intermediate the inlet 138 and the outlet 140,

A conduit 144 communicates with the upper portion of the chamber 137 andis connected with the intake side of an auxiliary pump 128. Thedischarge side of the auxiliary pump 128 is connected with the reservoir110 by a return conduit 130. The return conduit 130 is provided with anoutlet end 132 disposed within the reservoir 110 above the maximum levelof the fluid 111. A motoring means 136 is operably drivingly connectedwith the auxiliary pump 128.

The operation of the system illustrated in FIG. 2 is substantiallysimilar to that described above with reference to FlG. 1 except that byconnecting the auxiliary pump 128 to the upper portion of the filterdevice 124 as shown the auxiliary pump 128 will remove the air whichordinarily accumulates in the lter housing 136.

Although I have described several preferred embodiments of the presentinvention, it is apparent that many other changes and modifications canbe made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. A fluid system comprising (a) a liuid reservoir and a fluid user,

(b) a selectively operable primary pump and conduit means connecting theintake side of `said primary pump with said uid reservoir and thedischarge side of said primary pump with said fluid user,

(c) an auxiliary pumping means of a smaller capacity than said primarypump and having an intake side connected to said conduit meansintermediate said primary pump and said liuid reservoir and a dischargeside connected with said fluid reservoir whereby said auxiliary pumpingmeans is operable to maintain lluid in said conduit means intermediatesaid primary pump and said fluid reservoir during periods ofdeactivation of said primary pumping means, and

. (a) Vsaid filter device comprising a housing lhayinga filter chamberand a filter element carried in 'said V;

chamber, and

(b) said auxiliary pump having its intake Vside con-KV nected with theUpper portion of said filter chamber.-

3.7In a duid system having reservoir, v

a fiuid user and a fiuid 'cluding a suction conduit adapted forinsertion into' said fluid reservoir and a discharge conduit adapted forconnection with said fiuid user, andV (b) an auxiliary pumpingrmeansofra smaller capacity 'f Vthan saidl primary pumping means having anintake side connected with said suction conduit 'and a discharge side.adaptedV for connection with said fiuid reservoir whereby said auxiliarypumping means isV operable to maintain fiuid in'said suction conduitduringl periods of deactivation'of said primary 'pumping means, and i(c) a filter device "carried in said suction conduit and 'said auxiliarypump being connected with said filter device. l v Y Y 4. The fluidsystem as defined .in claim 3, andin which (a) said` filter device`comprises a housing, a filter chamber and a filter element carried insaid chamber, and (b) said auxiliary -pump'having its intakesideconnectedwith the upper portion of saidr filter chamber.

5. A fluid -system comprising Y l (a) a fiuid reservoir anda fiuiduser', f

(b) a selectively operable primary pumping means and conduit meansconnecting the intake side of said primary pumping means with saidreservoir yand the discharge side of said primary pumping means'withsaid/user, 'Y Y (c) a 1suction means of'a smaller capacity than said Y,

primary pumping means and having an intake Vconnected 'to` said conduitmeans intermediate said primary pump and V*said duid Vreservoir andadischarge aul side connected with said reservoir whereby said suc-Y'tion meansis operable to maintain fluid in said conduit meansintermediate Vsaid primary pump and said fluid reservoir during Vperiodsof deactivation of said primary pumping means, and v (d) VaV filterAdevice carried in said conduit means intermediate.Y said primaryVpumping means and saidrfluid reservoir, and said suction means beingconnected with'said filter device.

6L The fluid system vas defined in claim 5, andAin which (a) said filterdevice comprises a housing having a lter chamber and a filter elementcarried in said chamber,

(b) said suction means having its rintake side connected with the upperportion of said filter chamber.

7. `A fuid system comprising (a) a fiuid reservoir and a fiuid user,

(b),y selectively operable primary pump disposed above the fiuidlevel'insaid reservoir,

' (c) conduit means connecting the-intake side of said primary pump withsaid fiuid reservoir Vand the discharge side `of said pump with saidfluid user,

(d) a filter devicecarried in said conduit means interi' -mediate saidprimary pump and said fluid vreservoir `and disposed at substantiallythesame elevation as the Yintake of said pump,

(e) andan auxiliary pumping'means of a smaller capacitythan said primarypump and having an intake side connected to the interior of saidk filterdevice and a dischargeside connected; with said fluid reservoir,` saidauxiliary kpumping means being con- Y tinuorusly operable tomaintainrfluidin said filter and Ythereby remove air `vtherein so as toprovide immediate priming of said primary pump.

. References Cited the Examiner l UNITED STATES PflTENTsy '1,591,388"7/26 VJennings.; -103-113 1,784,205- 412/30. Seeger '103-25 l1,971,4418/34-Broadhursf 10s- 113 l y FQREIGN. PATENTS l 15,324 4/26`Netherlands.

7LAURENCE v. EFNnarrimary Examiner.

1. A FLUID SYSTEM COMPRISING (A) A FLUID RESERVOIR AND A FLUID USER, (B)A SELECTIVELY OPERABLE PRIMARY PUMP AND CONDUIT MEANS CONNECTING THEINTAKE SIDE OF SAID PRIMARY PUMP WITH SAID FLUID RESERVOIR AND THEDISCHARGE SIDE OF SAID PRIMARY PUMP WITH SAID FLUID USER, (C) ANAUXILIARY PUMPING MEANS OF A SMALLER CAPACITY THAN SAID PRIMARY PUMP ANDHAVING AN INTAKE SIDE CONNECTED TO SAID CONDUIT MEANS INTERMEDIATE SAIDPRIMARY PUMP AND SAID FLUID RESERVOIR AND A DISCHARGE SIDE CONNECTEDWITH SAID FLUID RESERVOIR WHEREBY SAID AUXILIARY PUMPING MEANS ISOPERABLE TO MAINTAIN FLUID IN SAID CONDUIT MEANS INTERMEDIATE SAIDPRIMARY PUMP AND SAID FLUID RESERVOIR DURING PERIODS OF DEAVITION OFSAID PRIMARY PUMPING MEANS, AND (D) A FILTER DEVICE CARRIED IN SIDCONDUIT MEANS INTERMEDIATE SAID PRIMARY PUMP AND SAID FLUID RESERVOIRAND SAID AUXILIARY PUMP BEING CONNECTED WITH SAID FILTER DEVICE.